Stop Calling It “Soft” Skills - Newsletter #45

Welcome to Maven Musings! I'm thrilled to connect with you. Biweekly, we’ll discuss Global inclusivity, technology, women’s empowerment, and healthy workplace culture through my unique and joyful lens. Join me on a journey of inspiration, positivity, and creativity.

The other day, someone in a meeting called them “soft skills.” You know: listening, empathy, adaptability, communication.

Soft.

I smiled, but inside I felt that familiar flicker of irritation. Because what’s “soft” about the skills that hold teams together? That build trust? That move projects and people forward?

We’ve all been taught to prioritize the measurable, the quantifiable, the “hard” parts of work. But the truth is, the heartbeat of any team lies in how we show up for one another. Not just what we do, but how we do it.

Research from MIT Sloan shows that the highest-performing teams are those with strong social sensitivity and equal participation. In other words, the ones who listen. Who notices when someone’s energy shifts. Who makes space for every voice in the room.

That’s not soft. That’s powerful.

When I think about the best teams I’ve worked with, the throughline isn’t brilliance or titles, it’s care. It’s the quiet moments after a presentation when someone says, “That was amazing.” It’s the message that says, “I’ve got you covered,” before you even ask. It’s a shared glance across a busy conference room that says, “We’ve got this.”

That’s culture. That’s leadership. And it’s built one moment of human connection at a time.

Maybe we’ve mislabeled what truly matters. Maybe it’s time to start calling them what they really are: Core skills. Leadership skills. Human skills.

Oh but the thing is, they are POWER SKILLS!!!!!

Because the ability to connect, to communicate, to empathize, to lead with heart - those aren’t optional extras. They’re the glue, the gold, the gravity.

And here’s the thing: they’re not innate. They’re learned, practiced, refined. They take work.

They take courage.

The courage to pause instead of push. To listen instead of lecture. To hold space instead of take it up.

So, the next time someone says “soft skills,” I’ll nod politely. Then I’ll smile and think:

There’s nothing soft about showing up fully human.

And that is powerful. 

Make sure you never miss an issue by clicking the “Subscribe” button in the upper right corner of the page. 

To follow me on my speaking and travel journeys, connect with me on Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn,  and my Podcast!